Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1887-09-23
MlsCellauenns.
The New Fashion Work.

One OF tho encouraging signs Of the
day is that work is becoming fashion
able--that is to say, that people Of
means are beginning to recognize the
duty of bringing up their sons aud
daughters to useful employment, It is
no longer disgrace, even in ultra
fashionable society, to work it is dis
grace to be an idler This feeling, or
sentiment, is not of great importance so
far as it affects the very small class Of
society people whose means allow them
to choose their course, but it is Of i'm
portance as an example to that much
larger class Of imitators who try to fol-
low the fashionable set in their habits
In England class distinctions are strong
ly marked in this country they exist,
but are, as far as possible, ignored, in
Difference to democratic sentiment But
both in England and in this country
work is becoming fashionable, The
young men enter shops for the sake Of
the practical education they can get
there the young women learn TO cook
aud to perform other household duties
that they may be the better able to d.
rect household affairs. 1t is true that
there is good deal of playing at work
in this fashionable recognition of labor
as honorable, but it nevertheless has q
healthful influence on imitators and fol-
lowers Of the aristocrats of England and
the society people of America. 1t en-
courages them to give their sons and
daughters practical education, and to
look upon work with less of scorn than
was affected score of years ago. In
stead of sending their boys into the
overcrowdod professions or endeavoring
to find for them mice, clean employ
ment" as clerks or statesmen, many pa
rents encourage their sons TO 60 into the
workshops or to learn one of tho building
trades that they may develop hand skill,
broad knowledge Of mechanical prin.
ciples, and thus be fitted either to work
as mechanics, or, if opportunity offers,
to become foremen or engineers or manu-
facturers and employers of labor What
ever the present position or future pros.
poets Of a young man may DO, he is moi
fully educated or equipped for the Scr
vice society may call upon him to per-
form unless he has undergone tho disci-
plinc of regular employment and has
had his hands trained to serve at least
fairly well tho directions given TO them
by tho mind.
Even the professional man, whose
work is mainly Of the mental ordor, is
better qualified for it if he has been ed
ucated in the school Of work and has
learned by experience the methodlcal
practice Of the shop. 1t is of course
impracticable in this age Of specialties
for any man who expects to become q
leader in any ono limo of human en-
deavor 10 devote mach time TO other
studies and exercises than those which
bear directly upon his chosen profession
or calling. If no is TO become a physi-
clan he cannot afford TO spend the best
years Of his life in machine shop,
however useful in general way such
experience might be to him But by a
modification Of educational methods be
can be given some knowledge Of me-
chancal handiwork and skill in tho use
of tools, and thus be more broadly edu-
Gated before his special studies begin
The fashionable recognition Of work
makes such a change in school studies
and methods Of education possible, and
when it has been effected, all Glasses Of
society will be benefited by it for the
simple reason that manual training Is
needed TO complete the scheme Of cdu-
cation. Whatever the future Of the
young man or the young woman is 10 be-
whether they arc 10 start in life handi.
capped by too much riches or too great
poverty-they will be tho better for the
training that gives them command Of all
their muscles and FITS them for manual
labor. 1t does not debar them from on
tering the learned professions or from
following such occupations as the purely
scholastic education has heretofore fore.
cd them into it simply broadens their
field Of choice, and develops in them 70.
spect for branches Of work heretofore
held in disfavor, 1t good fashion that
has been set by society here and 10
England-that Of having the children
taught to work, for il will have It's effect
upon much larger GLASSES Of people il
removing absurd objections to honorable
trades, and it has already had the olfect
OF encouraging the establishment Of
practical schools Of work and such
changes ID school methods as recognize
the claims Of the hand 10 be trained fol
useful employment